How Porsche kept secret the 918 Spyder Concept

The Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid concept made its world debut last week at the Geneva Motor Show. Dave Engelman, a Porsche spokesman, said that measures were taken to keep it quiet.

Bernd Harling, publicity chief for Porsche in the United States, even had to sign a nondisclosure waiver before viewing the 918. There's less likelihood for a privacy leak since the car has a very short development time.

The company only started planning it since last August. According to Porsche, there were meetings that included Wolfgang Durheimer, vice president of research and development, and Michael Macht, president of Porsche AG and chief executive of the executive board of management.

These talks were centered on what could be done immediately after the recent VW/Porsche merger to help Porsche remain Porsche.

This is how they came up with the 918 Spyder. Engelman said that it was tricky to keep this model a secret. Engelman also said that when cars have to be transported, it ups the chances that people will spot them.

The 918 Spyder has four drive modes -- An all-electric E-Power mode has 15.5 miles of range from a lithium-ion battery pack.

The Race-Hybrid mode develops 500hp V-8 gas engine and 218hp electric motor to enable the car to sprint from zero to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 198 miles an hour. An E-Boost button allows the driver to call on maximum electric power for racing and when passing.